Rising Storm
by Salisper
Summary: She is the daughter of a Pokemon professor. He is the brother of a powerful gym leader. Their world is swiftly overtaken by disaster. Evil men are mutating nature by creating Pokemorphs. Plus, Pokemon are turning on their trainers. ON HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1: Preperations Begin

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon! Only the OC's and the plot, so no stealing!!!**

**Rising Storm**

**Chapter 1: Preperations Begin**

"Alas, we mourn the death of one held dear to us." The priest's voice droned on and on through the hazy afternoon.

He was garbed in black robes and his black hair was streamed with gray. His dark and hooded eyes darted among the people gathered, settling upon a young girl. Her head was bowed, her hands clasped in her lap. If he hadn't been paying such close attention to the girl, he wouldn't have noticed the small shudder that shook the girl's thin shoulders every few moments.

He brought his speech to an end and then stepped off the dais. He gazed mournfully at the oak coffin, onto the peaceful expression on the woman that lay in it. On his shoulder was a Murkrow. "Murk…" she cawed softly.

The priest stood to the side as he watched the townspeople come up to pay their respects to the dead woman. She was so young, had been so full of life. It was amazing how swiftly one's life seemed to end.

Her daughter was almost a mirror reflection of her mother. There was never any need to ask if they were related. Both had long red-gold hair, mischievous violet eyes, full lips, a proud chin, a dainty nose and a small stature. The girl's hair was swept in a high ponytail but she had long bangs. Her bangs covered the left half of her face and her eyes were downcast.

Compared to other girls her age, the dead woman's daughter seemed even smaller. But both carried themselves with confidence and the girl could throw quite a good punch. Her uncle, after all, was a martial arts trainer who taught the girl how to fight as soon as she was able to walk.

The priest was so immersed in thought; he didn't realize that the girl had come up to him until she tapped him on the arm. She was ten but her eyes held a wisdom and knowledge that no ten year old should know. It was cynical and bitter wisdom and a bitter expression that adorned her face now. The priest knew very well that the girl's bitter expression would disappear as soon as she was with the Pokemon that her family breed and cared for.

"Murk!" the priest's Murkrow called out.

"Yes Kumori, what is it?" the priest asked. _How ironic, that this child's name should mean Shadow…_

"Father wants to talk to you." The child said briefly before disappearing into the crowd. That was the upside of being small. She could squeeze through spaces that many other people couldn't.

The priest smiled wryly and then went to talk with the girl's father, who was a Pokemon professor and gave aspiring trainers their starters. It was all very well that the family owned a Pokemon breeding farm.

Meanwhile, the girl, Kumori, had escaped out of the church and into the forest. She sighed, wandering aimlessly among the giants. That's how she liked to think of herself when she was in the forest. Kumori sat down under one of the large oaks and closed her eyes.

She felt tears escape her eyelids and trickle down her cheek. She was very thin mainly because she was always dogged by sickness. She had never had that big of an appetite. Kumori had grown up with Pokemon. After all, her mother had been a breeder. Now, it was up to her father and herself to keep the farm going. Kumori began to make her slow way back home.

The call of the Starly and the Pidgey filled the air as Kumori continued to walk. She found herself leaning against the fence that bordered the field where the farm's three Rapidash were grazing.

Kumori felt her face break into a small smile as she gazed at the graceful Pokemon. She swiftly climbed over the fence and began to head across the field. The three Rapidash looked up at her but only one of them called.

He galloped up to the girl and she gently stroked his nose. "I'm really ok, Blaze." She assured the Pokemon. Blaze snorted as if in disbelief, than returned to grazing.

Kumori then glanced around at the other fields. She headed for the incubating hall, intent on seeing if any of the Pokemon eggs had hatched yet. Kumori was just about to start her Pokemon journey and she still hadn't found a starter yet.

Maybe this might be her lucky month. Her birthday was this month as well and she planned on leaving then. She heard the sounds of the newly hatched Pokemon before she saw them. The egg in the first case had hatched and a Torchic was chirping from amidst the broken shell. Kumori swiftly grabbed the clipboard that was hanging from a hook and recorded the data.

Doing these chores helped take her mind off the throbbing pain in her heart. She gently stroked the top of the Torchic's head, intent on getting it used to human contact from an early stage. After spending about five minutes with the Torchic, she continued down the corridor. Numbers 2-12 were still in their eggs. At first, number 13 seemed the same but as Kumori moved away, she noticed the egg begin to crack.

She froze, than glanced at the data sheet pinned to the glass case. This egg had been found in the Lucario enclosure. Kumori grinned in excitement. This would be the first Riolu the farm had. The farm had two Lucario's but they had been gifts from a man named Riley.

Kumori then heard the bell on top of the gate ring and she scowled. The girl darted towards the guests and tried to smile welcomingly. But these guests were here to comfort the young girl and she accepted their sympathies silently. This was a family of three, a family whom Kumori knew quite well. At least, she knew the adults.

Their son, about Kumori's age, smiled at her shyly and she rolled her eyes, anxious to get back to the hatching Riolu. "Hey, um, Kumori, right?" the boy asked. He had shoulder length brown hair and his bangs framed his pale face. It was amazing that he was the only one close to Kumori in height. Both of them were only about 4'7" in height.

"What's it to you?" Kumori growled under her breath. "Yes, that's my name," she said louder.

"I'm going to start my Pokemon journey soon and I need a starter…I'm not sure if this is a good time to ask, though…" he grinned hopefully.

"No, now is a _great _time…" Kumori tried to smile again but failed miserably. She motioned for him to follow her.

"Come home when you're done, alright Arashi?" the boy's mother instructed him. Arashi nodded and fell in step behind Kumori. She led him past the fields with the Rapidash and the pool with the Poliwag.

"Hey, I've always wondered. What do you guys do with all of these Pokemon anyway?" he waved his hand around.

"We give out starters and my father does research on them." They passed by the incubating hall now. "We breed them as well and supply the neighboring dairy farm with all the Miltank they need." The two walked on in silence until they passed the first of the six fields that contained the available starters.

"So, what choices do I have?" he asked.

Kumori had watched many new trainers select their starters and she knew what she had to do. She vaulted over the fence and moved among the grass. She came back with a Bulbasaur, which she tied to the fence post via a leash and then repeated it five more times.

At the end, there were six Pokemon tied to the post. The Bulbasaur, a Piplup, a Charmander, a Cyndiquil, a Squirtle and a Turtwig gazed up affectionately at Kumori. She had basically been the first human they had seen. Many of the other staff members who worked at the farm didn't have much to do with the incubating hall.

"This is it?" Arashi asked, slightly disappointed. He had wanted a Pokemon different from a normal starter.

"Take your time. I need to check on the newly hatched Rio—" she broke off, astonished at the change of expression on Arashi's face. She had been kneeling down to pet the top of the Bulbasaur's head.

From disappointment to excitement is a marvelous change. "There's a newly hatched Riolu? I want it for my starter."

"What? Hell no!" the girl jumped to her feet, her eyes blazing. "That Riolu is the first Riolu to hatch on this farm!" she told him, fighting to keep her voice calm. "That Riolu isn't going anywhere."

Then, one of the staff members came dashing over from the Lucario enclosure. "Kumori," he panted, white cap askew. He eyed the boy uneasily. "We found another egg in the Lucario enclosure." Kumori acknowledged this.

"Take your time choosing." She spat at Arashi. "I'll be right back." She took off towards the Lucario's.

"Is she always so temperamental?" Arashi asked wistfully. The staff worker raised an eyebrow.

"If you're not going to choose…"

"Oh, right. Maybe I'll wait." Arashi wandered away, hands in his pockets.

The staff worker shook his head, than returned the six Pokemon back to the field. He headed for the Rapidash field, knowing it was nearing their dinner time. Kumori, meanwhile, had entered the Lucario enclosure, her sharp eyes searching for the egg. She finally found it and then gently picked it up, cradling it against her chest.

Nobody had entered the Lucario enclosure for a while so there was no knowing how long the egg had been there. The Lucario had always been led inside for feeding and the outside enclosure needed no cleaning.

Kumori then slowly existed, walking towards the incubating hall, silently counting steps in her head. _One…two…three…_ She began to pace, suddenly wanting to make the egg hatch. She walked towards the back of the hall and then stopped to gaze at the newly hatched Riolu. Its red eyes blinked at her sleepily and she smiled.

She continued pacing, her steps nearing two hundred by now. It was amazing how long the incubating hall was from end to end. At around the five hundred step mark, she noticed Arashi was standing near the entrance and she groaned. "What do you want?" she asked.

"I've got two questions."

"Ask away."

"One, why are you pacing and two, is that the egg that was found in the Lucario enclosure?"

"I'm attempting to speed up the hatching and yes, this is the egg that was found in the Lucario enclosure. And no, when it hatches, you can't have it for your starter."

"Why?"

"Because, I need a starter and this Riolu will be my starter."

"Hey, what happened to customer satisfaction?"

"You're not paying any money, and since when was there a guarantee for customer satisfaction?"

He snarled angrily and she smirked. "Just let me see that newly hatched Riolu." He growled and pushed past Kumori. She rolled her eyes but let him past. He proceeded down the hall, and then stopped outside of the newly hatched Riolu's case. "What gender is it?" he demanded.

"I'd say…probably a male."

"Hey, there's two Riolu now. I can have one now!" he grinned in triumph.

"Uh-uh," Kumori shook her head at such foolishness. "I'm keeping one for my starter." She resumed pacing.

He looked at her in astonishment. "Fine then," he spat. "I'll come back when Professor Maple is around. He'll let me choose whichever one I want."

"If that's what you want. I'm not stopping you." Arashi stalked away, anger coming off of him in waves. "Hey, not my fault you're a stuck up snob who always get what you want." Kumori muttered under her breath.

The newly hatched Riolu seemed to smile.

---

The next week, Kumori woke up to the absence of the scent of breakfast cooking. Again. Almost at once, the pain that had been held at bay all week came crashing down on her and she began to sob uncontrollably.

Her door creaked open and a Growlithe padded in. He jumped onto her bed and nuzzled her gently. She had to wait for the hysterics to stop before she could talk. "I'm fine now...I think..." Kumori smiled reassuringly, resting her cheek against the top of the Growlithe's warm head.

"Grow," he barked.

Kumori absentmindedly continued stroking the Growlithe, then stood up with a sigh. She shrugged out of her gray tank top and shorts and pulled on a black tank top, a black jacket and black cargos. She laced up her sneakers and hurried downstairs to begin cooking breakfast.

Her father walked into the kitchen, almost lifeless. "Mornings just aren't the same with Mother, are they…" Kumori remarked softly, setting a plate of waffles before her father. She sat down opposite, not eating this morning. He didn't say anything, used to her passing up meals.

He tried to eat but couldn't swallow more then a couple mouthfuls. He shoved the plate away from him. "It's just hard to believe she's gone…I mean, I know it's been a week but it seems so much longer..."

Kumori placed her chin on her hand, her elbow propped up on the table. "Hey Dad," she began. "You know how I'm leaving for my Pokemon journey in a couple of days?"

"Days?" this caught his attention. "What? That fast?"

"Yes. Are you going to be able to handle being alone for the next couple of years? I'll come back during the summers and everything but I'm just worried about leaving the farm…"

"Right, we need to get you a starter. Any of the newly hatched caught your eye?" he asked.

"Yes…" the small, thin girl traced a pattern on the wooden table. "The Riolu…"

"Riolu?" her father managed to crack a smile. "And there I was, thinking you'd go for the Fire type."

"Yeah, I know. I was thinking the Fire type at first but there's something about this Riolu that really catches my attention." Kumori said sheepishly. "And he also caught the attention of Arashi Whitewind. But please, Dad, don't let him have the Riolu. Neither of them, I'm begging you."

"Why?"

"They're not his type. Besides, wouldn't it be nice to have at least _one _Riolu on the farm?" she persisted.

"Hmm…you've got a point there. Well then, what do you think Arashi's type is?" her father's black eyes had regained some sparkle now and they recognized the mischievous grin on his daughter's face.

"I'm thinking Grass or Electric. Oh, gotta go check on the Riolu's!" Kumori dashed out of the house, the screen door slamming in her wake.

She dashed off along the path leading to the incubating hall and skidded inside. She raced down and then stopped a couple cages away. The newly hatched Riolu didn't have a separate enclosure yet so they still had to stay inside. But Kumori made sure to take them out for walks each day. She gently took both of them out and attached leashes to their collars.

She was pretty sure that the male Riolu, the first one to hatch, was the one for her but the female Riolu was also quite interesting. She completed her rounds then, out of sudden inspiration, placed the female back into the glass cage and picked up the male. "I'm calling you Twilight, from now on." Kumori said.

She didn't feel any pain when she was with the Pokemon. It was only a dull throb, almost non-existent. She brought Twilight back to the house, seeing that her father had already gone to his lab and headed for her room.

As she began to pack her knapsack with things needed for her adventure, like spare clothes, extra food and her wallet, she observed Twilight as well. The Riolu was a curious Pokemon, prodding around her room. She noticed Twilight was also very cool and calm, not even the least disturbed when Arrow barked at him.

For the next few days, she continued packing and getting things ready, bonding with Twilight as well. Arashi came over the day before she was going to leave and he left with his starter. He was able to get a starter that wasn't exactly a normal one. He left with a Shinx, one of the numerous little electrical lion cubs prowling around the Luxray enclosure.

"Well, tomorrows the big day. Best rest up, Twilight." Kumori whispered to the Riolu. Her starter pretty much spent all of his time with her and he hadn't even gone in a Pokeball yet. Kumori wasn't intending on placing him in a Pokeball either.

_I wonder what the next few years will be like…_she thought as she drifted off into welcome darkness.


	2. Chapter 2: The Start

**I'm accepting traveling companions for Kumori right now. Please submit your characters in this format:**

**Name**

**Age**

**Gender**

**Pokemon**

**Appearance**

**Personality**

**Interesting facts**

**And please don't have your characters have all six evolved Pokemon. Otherwise, it'd be no fun...

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**Chapter 2: The Start**

**Kumori POV:**

You know, it's really amazing how much things can change in three years. That day, when I set off with Twilight, seems now like such a faraway memory. Hard to believe it was only three years ago.

Yes, you could say three years is a long time. And maybe it is. It just doesn't really seem so when you're traveling with your loyal Pokemon companions and a friend. Oh, right. Maybe I should catch you up.

Now…how should I start the story…You best pay close attention because some parts can get a little confusing.

Before I continue, I'm going to introduce you to my friend. He's the brother of the Sunnyshore gym leader, Volkner. His name is Kyou.

I'll start with Day 1 and speed up the pace once you get the gist of the story.

**Day 1**

**Normal POV:**

Kumori woke up the next morning, earlier than usual. She could still feel the pain from her mother's death but that pain was being fended off by something much stronger. That something was excitement.

Kumori would be leaving this morning for her journey. The entire staff came out to see her off. However, before she left, her father gave her a Pokedex. It happened to be black in color. One of the staff members handed her a black Poktch. Kumori hugged both of them tightly. She then walked out of the gate and onto the road. She waved to the staff until she couldn't see them anymore. Twilight was clinging to her shoulder, standing on her knapsack. "Ri, Riolu," he spoke every few minutes, curiously gazing about. This was the Riolu's first time out of the farm.

She traveled on the main road for a bit, intent onto getting to Sandgem Town before nightfall. At least, when she got there, she could stay at Professor Rowan's house for a little bit. Professor Rowan and her own father, Professor Maple, were very good friends.

The two travelers, human and Pokemon, stopped for lunch. Kumori unwrapped two onigiri's and poured Pokefood into a light blue bowl for Twilight. She nibbled the rice, her eyes searching. She was hoping to catch a Pokemon before she reached the next town. Her violet eyes lit up.

There. The tall grass rustled promisingly. She grinned at Twilight and the Riolu tilted his head. "M'kay, Twilight," she muttered. "Time to see what you're made of,"She picked up her bag and entered the grass. Almost immediately, she saw three Shinx in a small clearing. Two of them were napping, the third was exploring. Twilight jumped onto a rock and eagerly awaited orders.

"Alright, Twilight, let's go!" The two sleeping Shinx woke up with a start and fled. The third stood its ground, growling at them. Kumori whipped out her Pokedex.

"Shinx, the electric lion Pokemon. Its fur dazzles when danger is sensed. Shinx then flees when the foe is momentarily blinded."

"Well then, that's weird…" Kumori muttered. She brushed some of her hair away from her eyes to study the growling Shinx closer. "Ok, Twilight. Use Tackle, then follow it up with Quick Attack, let's go!"

The Riolu jumped off of the rock he was standing on and hit the ground running. He plowed into the Shinx, then swiftly turned around and hit it once more with Quick Attack. The Shinx quickly retaliated.

Electricity crackled on its teeth and it lunged forwards, chomping down on Twilight's arm. "Use Counter," Twilight's other paw quickly smacked the Shinx away, dealing double the amount of damage he received.

"Shinx!" the little lion Pokemon growled angrily, struggling to stand back up. It then used Thundershock.

"Dodge it!" Kumori ordered. Twilight was agile on his feet and easily avoided the bolts of lightning that hit the ground, causing bits of rock and dirt to fly up into the air. "Good, now use Quick Attack and when you get close, use Force Palm!" The Riolu seemed to disappear. He charged towards the Shinx, leaving a trail of silver light after him.

He hit the Shinx and then turned around, smacking it with Force Palm. "RI!" he cried out in triumph.

"Go, Pokeball!" the red capsule bounced off the head of the Shinx, enveloping it in a red light. The Pokeball fell to the ground and began to rock. _Ding…ding…ding…_It seemed to go on forever. Kumori was biting her lip so hard, she could taste blood.

_Ding…ding…_

_Hurry up!_

_Dong! _"YES!" the newbie trainer shouted in frenzied happiness. She picked up the Pokeball and held it up in the air, giving the victory sign to her Pokemon. "We caught Shinx!"

"Ri, Riolu!" Twilight jumped onto Kumori's shoulder.

She hugged the Pokeball to her chest and laughed in relief. She hadn't realized she would enjoy battle that much. She had often watched her mother battle to keep the Pokemon on the farm in shape but had only once joined in.

"I'm going to call you Thunder," she whispered to the Pokeball before shrinking it and clipping it to her belt. But she couldn't resist. "C'mon out," in a flash of silver light, the Shinx was out once more, now eager to please.

"Ri, Riolu, Ri, Ri," Twilight grinned.

"Shi, Shinx," Thunder replied.

She proceeded back to the main road and her two Pokemon followed. Then, she noticed a figure strangely familiar. "Aw, crap…" she groaned. Arashi was leaning against a tree not far up ahead. With him was his Shinx and a Starly.

Kumori looked around. Unless she wanted to cut through the field that was full of wild Pokemon, she'd have to go past Arashi. At least, she wouldn't be killed going past him. She walked towards the tree and then returned Thunder. She had already attempted to return Twilight but he wouldn't go. Arashi looked up from where he was watching his two Pokemon play and then his impish face broke into a grin.

"Yo, Kumori," he called.

"What?" she growled back.

"I didn't expect to see you here," he strode towards her. Twilight snarled. Kumori fingered the Pokeball that contained Thunder. "Right, you haven't met my two Pokemon. Bolt, Tornado, meet Kumori. Oh, so you did get the Riolu. What did you name him?"

"First, let me introduce you to a friend of mine. It's called, Get Your Face Out of My Sight or I'm Going to Punch Your Face In."

"Ohh…ice woman…" he sneered. Kumori balled her hand up into a fist and swung it around.

"Now, Twilight!" she called. Twilight jumped up and used Force Palm, slapping him right across the cheek. "Go, Thunder! Use Thunder Fang!" The Shinx lunged forwards, electricity crackling around his teeth and flowing out of his jaws.

"Stop! Stop!" Arashi screeched, seeing he was about to get bitten by a strong and angry Shinx.

But it was too late. Tornado had already shot forwards and used Tackle, knocking the Shinx away from his trainer. Thunder had twisted his head and chomped down on Tornado's wing. The Starly's cry of fury echoed.

Twilight had jumped forwards and the Riolu and Bolt were in a face-off. "Twilight, use Quick Attack and then Force Palm. Thunder, use Thundershock and then Discharge." Kumori rattled off orders.

"Tornado, use Wing Attack. Bolt, use Thundershock. Let's move it guys!"

The two of them were so caught up in the battle that they didn't notice a third trainer. His ebony eyes sparkled with amusement and he wore a black and blue cap placed backwards over his head. His lips twitched into a small smile. Next to him was a Furret, its tail flicking from side to side. Finally, he called out, "That was a good move, Riolu." For Twilight had just used Quick Attack to get close and then turn around and smack Bolt with Force Palm. The two trainers started in surprise. Kumori was taken aback by the handsome stranger. He had pale skin and shoulder-length amber colored hair. He had calm and confident air about him and his Furret was the same. "Name's Kyou," he shook hands with the two strangers.

"Kumori…"

"Arashi."

"Can I just examine your Shinx?" he directed the question at Kumori.

"S-sure…" she stammered.

Kyou knelt down and stroked the Shinx. A soft purring sound came from the little lion. "Did you just catch him?" he asked. Kumori nodded. "Wow, you have a way with Pokemon. This little guy seems to like you already. It could almost be as if he were with you for two months instead of just two hours."

"You must really know a lot about Electric types to be able to tell that much." Arashi said in awe.

"Oh, and your Shinx doesn't really seem to like you that much. It would most likely be accurate to say that you only had the Shinx for a day." Kyou grinned and the grin reminded Kumori of Arashi's impish smile.

"B-b-b-but—" Arashi sputtered in fury.

"And yes, I grew up with Electric types. It's not like I have a choice, since my brother is Volkner."

"Your brother is the gym leader of Sunnyshore City?" Kumori whistled in amazement. "Can I see your Pokemon?"

"Sure. C'mon out everybody!"

In a flash of silver light, a Staravia, a Luxio and a Growlithe appeared next to the Furret. "And I half-expected your whole team to be made up of Electric types," Kumori laughed. Kyou smiled good-naturedly. "Anyway, this is my team. Twilight is the Riolu and Thunder is the Shinx."

"Cool, the Furret is Star, the Staravia is Hurricane, the Luxio is named Storm and the Growlithe is called Streak." The two of them ignored Arashi, who stalked off, nursing his injured dignity. They walked as they talked and the two of them reached Sandgem Town before nightfall. They stayed at the Pokemon Center for the night.

**Day 2**

Nothing much happened on this day. They just set off from Sandgem Town and Kumori caught herself a Starly, naming her Whirlwind.

**Day 3**

They reached Jubilife City. Kyou got a blue Poketch.

**Day 4**

Set off for Oreburgh City. Both Kumori and Kyou are looking forward to their first gym badge.

**Day 5**

Whirlwind evolved from Starly to Staravia. The pair reached the cave separating Jubilife and Oreburgh.

**Day 6**

They reached the outskirts of Oreburgh City.

**Day 7**

Nothing much happened this day. Really. All they did was train. Twilight learned Reversal. Kumori found a TM for Aerial Ace and taught it to Whirlwind.

**Day 8**

They get ready for their battle with Roark. Kyou challenges him first.

"Alright, Geodude, let's go!" the gym leader called out. The Rock type Pokemon appeared in a flash of white light.

"Star, you're up." Kyou told the Furret by his side. The Pokemon snaked forwards and balanced easily on one of the many stones.

"Furret!" she cried out.

"I'll be nice and let you have the first move," Roark grinned.

"Fine by me," Kyou smirked. "Star, use Agility then Double Team," he rapped out orders. Kumori stood on the sidelines, gazing in amazement.

Kyou handled his Pokemon with deft concentration and skill. Her breath was taken away as she watched him confidently order his Pokemon to victory. Star seemed to disappear when she used Agility, flashing in between the rocks, confusing the Geodude. When she was near enough, she used Double Team.

"Rock Slide!" the now scowling gym leader shouted.

"Quickly, Star, Iron Tail!" the illusion disappeared and the Furret darted forwards and cracked a glowing, silver tail over the Geodude's head. "Now, finish it with Quick Attack!"

The battle with the Geodude was over with that. The next Pokemon he sent out was Cranidos. "You better be ready," Roark grinned, his glasses flashing in the light.

"Streak, you're up." Kyou threw the Pokeball high into the air. In a flash of red light, the fire Pokemon appeared, snarling.

"Surely you must know that Fire types are weak against Rock?" Roark laughed. "Cranidos, Zen Headbutt, let's go!"

"Quick, Streak, dodge is and then use Ember."

The Growlithe jumped high into the air, twisting around and shooting a barrage of flames at the Cranidos. The dinosaur shook it off. "Zen Headbutt, once more!" Roark called out.

"Iron Tail!" the challenger returned.

Streak and Cranidos met in mid-air, creating a huge explosion. Kumori held her breath, waiting to see which one had survived the impact…

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**Hope you guys liked that chapter! Please Read and Review!**


	3. Chapter 3: A Number of New Friends

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon, just several of the OC's in this story and the plot.**

**I guess I'm accepting rivals now as well. She's got a big traveling group so...rivals would be a good experience for Kumori...

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**Chapter 3: A Number of New Friends**

The dust cleared slowly and it revealed that both Pokemon were still standing. The Growlithe had dust clinging to his fur and he was panting.

Cranidos wasn't in any better condition. Kumori held her breath for what seemed to be a lifetime. _Crash…_Cranidos collapsed, his legs buckling from under him. Swirls replaced his eyes. Kumori let out her breath in a relieved sigh.

Kyou collected his first Sinnoh badge and held it aloft. "We just won the Coal Badge!" he said in excitement, his hat still on backwards. "You guys did great," he gave both Star and Streak a swift hug.

Kumori hurried onto the battlefield and grinned. "Tomorrow, it's my turn." She and Twilight exchanged a glance and Kyou raised an eyebrow.

They exited the gym and then they noticed several other trainers. They were talking in hushed tones. They all looked to be around the same age as Kyou and Kumori. One of them was a girl with chin-length white hair and side bangs that brushed past her shoulders. A second was also a girl but this time, one with red hair. A third had short brown hair and the fourth was hard to see from their angle.

They walked over to the group and Kyou hung around at the edge. Girls were sometimes strange creatures to him and he didn't like to get too involved with a lot of girls at one time. Kumori, on the other hand, walked right up to them.

"Hey," she grinned.

They looked at her. Four pairs of eyes surveyed the small and slender girl. She was only about three-fourths of the height of the smallest girl in the group there but the confident aura that surrounded her wasn't failing her now.

One of them, the girl with the white hair, was wearing a black shirt with sleeves that covered her entire arms and half of her palm and ended 2 inches above her belly button. She also had on black cargo pants. Her eyes were violet in color and they gazed at Kumori with a strange intensity. "Who are you?" she asked bluntly, brushing some of her hair away from her eyes. Kumori smiled innocently.

The second, the girl with red hair, glanced reproachfully at the first one to talk. "Be nice, Rei," she said. "My name's Kari Smith, she's Rei Hakumei, the one with the brown hair is Kotone Yamashiro and that's Aqua."

Kumori smiled. "I'm Kumori Maple."

"Kumori is a cool name," one of the other girls, Kotone, said.

"Who's he?" Aqua nodded in Kyou's direction.

"I'll let him introduce himself. Get over here, Kyou," Kumori ordered. Kyou rolled his eyes but walked over, Star by his side.

"Name's Kyou," he said, standing ill at ease next to Kumori.

"Can we see your Pokemon?" Aqua asked eagerly.

"Sure, c'mon out everybody!" In a flash of red light, Thunder and Whirlwind were by Kumori's side.

"Let's go," Kyou said with slight reluctance. Streak, Hurricane and Storm appeared next to Star.

An Eevee, a Chikorita and a Buneary appeared next to Rei. A flash of red light and a Dratini and a Growlithe appeared next to Kari. A Bulbasaur, a Ralts, a Pachirisu and a Trapinch appeared next to Kotone. An Eevee and a Turtwig stood by Aqua.

"Twilight is my Riolu, Thunder is the Shinx and Whirlwind is the Staravia," Kumori informed the group. Twilight waved with a paw and Thunder sparked a little greeting. Whirlwind cawed.

"Streak is the Growlithe, Star is the Furret, Hurricane is the Staravia and Storm is the Luxio," Kyou muttered, kneeling down and stroking Hurricane's head. The Staravia was getting a little agitated.

"Shard is the Eevee, Leaf is the Chikorita and Airi is the Buneary." Rei added.

"My Pokemon doesn't have nicknames," Kari laughed.

"Don't feel lonely Kari," Aqua grinned. "Neither do my guys."

"Well, Midori is the Bulbasaur, Takara is the Ralts, Daiki is the Pachirisu and Kichiro is the Trapinch." Kotone interrupted them.

"Nice. Have you guys gotten the Coal Badge yet?" Kumori asked curiously. Three out of four nodded.

Kari smiled sheepishly. "I haven't gotten it yet. I'm planning on getting it tomorrow."

"Hey, me too!" the questioner smiled.

The new friends, all six of them, spent the night in the Pokemon Center. Kyou lay awake. He hadn't been betting on this. He was now traveling with a group of girls. He really hoped they'd meet a male person who wanted to travel with them.

**Day 10**

"Rise and shine!" Rei cried out in the morning, spreading the curtains.

A groan and cries of surprise responded to her greeting. "No…" someone moaned. "Five more minutes…"

"Ri! Riolu!" the Riolu chastised Kari.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes, prodding Kumori's mattress. Kumori had slept above her. "Wake up Kumori," she said. "And get your Riolu to stop bugging me!"

Kumori yawned broadly and slid off the top bunk. "I need to take a shower first." She grabbed her clothes for the day, her toothbrush and toothpaste and her hair brush. Kumori shuffled towards the bathroom.

Rei was already changed and she sat upon her bunk, talking with her Pokemon. Kotone shook her head. She had been the one to sleep on the bed that wasn't a bunk. It was easy to tell that many of her new traveling companions weren't morning people.

Aqua was still lying face down on the bunk, muttering something into her pillow.

Kyou was in a separate room and he knocked on their door before entering. They looked up. "Where's Kumori?" he asked, a faint blush starting to creep up onto his face.

"Taking a shower, why?" Aqua looked up from her pillow, bleary-eyed.

"Never mind," Kyou muttered and walked away. They heard him going downstairs.

"Oh my god!" the four of them glanced at each other with wide eyes.

"He's cute," Kari observed calmly. Rei raised an eyebrow. She wasn't about to voice her feelings.

"Totally, I can't believe our luck!" Aqua squeaked.

"Why?" Kumori entered the bedroom, towel drying her hair. Twilight glanced at her from where he was sitting on her bunk. She lifted him down.

"Never mind," Kari replied in a sing song voice. "I'm starved. Let's go grab some chow before we challenge Roark."

The friends headed downstairs. Kumori saw Kyou disappear out the door and sighed. "Oh, that reminds me," Kotone spoke up. "Kyou came in looking for you earlier, but you were in the shower."

Kumori nodded absentmindedly. "I'll go talk to him later," she muttered to herself as she grabbed a plate. She grabbed a pancake and five strawberries before sitting down at the table. She let out her Pokemon and put food in their bowls.

Kari slid into the seat opposite her. Only now was the nervousness starting to creep into both girls. They didn't talk much, only murmuring to their Pokemon and flashing agitated glances around the cafeteria.

Kumori managed to swallow two strawberries and take three nibbles out of the pancake before she pushed her food away. Kumori swiftly cleaned up, washing the bowls and then placing it in her bag. She returned Thunder and Whirlwind and headed for the door. She was greeted by a Growlithe. _Weird…didn't know there were Growlithe around here…_

"Go, Thunder! Use Discharge!" she shouted.

The battle between the Shinx and the Growlithe ended with Thunder the victor. "Shi, Shinx!" Thunder crowed.

"Go, Pokeball!" she threw the red capsule. It bounced off of the Growlithe's forehead before enveloping it in red light. It fell to the ground and began to rock. _Ding…ding…ding…_It rocked for a few more moments before, _dong! _Kumori held the Pokeball in the air and smiled broadly at Thunder and Twilight.

"Ri, Riolu!" Twilight punched the air.

"I'm going to name you Wildfire," she smiled. She proceeded to go find Kyou.

She saw Kyou training with his Pokemon near the back of the Pokemon Center. He was reeling off orders to the battling Pokemon in front of him. Kumori watched silently for a few moments.

After a few minutes, Kyou returned his Pokemon and Star scurried to his side. He turned around. "Oh, hey there Kumori!" a crooked smile flashed across his face. Kumori felt her heart begin to beat faster.

"What's up? You wanted to talk to me, right?"

"Oh, yeah," he looked around uneasily.

"C'mon, spit it out," Kumori grinned playfully. She tilted her head, wondering. Suddenly, Twilight began to tug her jacket in an urgent manner. "Hush," she said.

"Fine, fine, well…it's hard to explain. I don't know why but I'm starting to feel this strange aura in the air…" He smiled sheepishly. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"Riolu can sense auras, right?" Kumori ignored his last statement. "Twilight, tell me if you sense this strange aura Kyou feels,"

Twilight nodded and closed his eyes. After a few moments, Twilight's red eyes flashed open. "Ri, Ri, Riolu!" he began to say in earnest, flashing a glance at the bushes.

They were interrupted by the rest of their new friends.

"Let's head for the gym, Kumori," Kari called out. "You can challenge him first, if you want."

"What? Oh, sure, thanks!" Kumori returned. "You best come too Kyou," she said in an undertone.

He nodded and they walked towards the gym. The six of them entered and the two challengers waited in the waiting room while the rest of them headed for the stands. They were admitted into the gym and Kumori swallowed, feeling the butterflies in her stomach. Twilight flashed his trainer a reassuring glance.

"Alright, who is first?" Roark asked.

"Me," Kumori stepped forward.

"Very well," he smiled. "Go, Geodude!"

"Let's go, Wildfire!" she called out. The Growlithe appeared in a flash of red light. The Geodude almost seemed to laugh.

"Geodude, start it off with Rock Slide!"

"Wildfire, use Agility and dodge the rocks. Then follow it up with Body Slam!"

Wildfire disappeared, dodging the rocks and then reappearing near Geodude. He slammed into the Geodude with his shoulder. "Quick, now use Bite!" Kumori ordered. Wildfire twisted his head around and chomped down on Geodude's arm.

"Now, Geodude, use Headbutt!"

"Get out of there and then use Roar!"

Wildfire jumped out of reach and stood on a rock. He roared and the Geodude cowered. "Now finish it with Swift!"

Stars erupted from Wildfire's mouth and hit the Geodude. A cloud of dust gathered and then, when it all cleared, the Geodude fainted.

"Good job Wildfire!" Kumori grinned. "Return," she returned the Growlithe. "You did a great job."

"Go, Cranidos!" Roark called out.

"Twilight, you're up." The Riolu stepped forwards.

"Start it off with Zen Headbutt!"

"Wait for it…" The Zen Headbutt plowed into Twilight.

"Kumori, why doesn't she do anything?" Kyou wondered.

"Now, Twilight, use Counter!" Twilight leapt forwards, striking the Cranidos with double the damage he received.

"Oh, that's why," Kyou couldn't take his eyes off the battle, even for a moment.

"Now, Twilight, use Quick Attack."

"Headbutt, let's go!"

"Force Palm, now!" the Riolu's trainer shouted.

"What?" Roark gaped. Twilight had been about to crash headlong into Cranidos but he quickly switched to Force Palm, knocking the Cranidos away.

"Alright, finish it with Focus Punch, let's go!" Twilight stood on a rock, gathering energy. Cranidos lurched to his feet and then launched another Headbutt under the command of Roark. "Dodge it," Kumori cried out.

Twilight jumped to the side and then punched the Cranidos in the side, the Focus Punch being ready. "CRAN!" the dinosaur Pokemon screeched before crumpling.

"Yes! We did it!" Kumori shouted in happiness. She hugged Twilight. "You did great, little guy," she whispered.

"Ri, Riolu, Ri, Ri," he said, nodding knowingly.

"Kari, it's your turn!" Kumori called out in a sing song voice. She walked out of the gym and into the stands.

"That was a great battle, Kumori," Rei said. "And it was really smart to use the Zen Headbutt's power against the user," she brushed back some of her hair.

"Now let's see how Kari does," Aqua added.

Kari's battle went well, ending with her winning the Coal Badge as well. "Sahweet!" she grinned. "So, now we head for…"

Kumori pulled out her Town Map. "I think the next town would be Floaroma," she observed. "But there really isn't any point in staying there long, unless any of you guys are coordinators."

The group glanced around at each other. They shook their heads and then headed out the door. Aqua, Rei, Kotone and Kari headed for the caves to do some training. Kumori decided to take a walk and see what other wild Pokemon were around. Kyou joined her.

As they passed the entrance to a cave, a voice called out, "Beautifly, use Sleep Powder!"

Almost immediately, the two trainers and their Pokemon were fast asleep. They didn't notice the net that dropped on them, or the muffled voices. "We got a good batch this time. The boss will be happy with these choices for his experiments…"

**Ooh…cliffy!**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the story! Oh, and thanks to KakeruTenshi, kari bunny, HayashiOkami and AquafinaPure for letting me use your OC's!**

**The next chapter will be up…soon as I finish writing it!**

**Blanket of Darkness**


	4. Chapter 4: Surprise, Surprise

Right, review replies. I haven't really been able to get down and do it but, I shall start now.

Phoenix Espeon - I'm sorry if she sounded bratty but a person's gotta have faults, right?

Foxyjosh – Yes, it does get interesting here on in.

kari bunny – Sure, if you want her to…I guess…but I'll need a name for the Pikachu if you want the captured Pokemon to have a nickname…

* * *

**Chapter 4: Surprise, Surprise**

Kumori began to wake up and she groaned, gently touching her split lip. She took stock of her surroundings. Panic surged through her body when she realized everything was dark. Had she gone blind?

_Okay, just stay calm…_her logical, cool side said.

_STAY CALM?! STAY CALM?! HOW IN THE WORLD AM I SUPPOSED TO STAY CALM, DAMN IT! _the other side of her screamed in fury.

"Kyou? Twilight?" she called out into the darkness.

"Kumori, that you?" someone answered. It sounded like Kyou.

"Yeah, what happened?"

"That, I can explain, my dear," a tall man entered the room. The light from the hallway revealed that Kumori wasn't blind and that they were in a room with cages lining all sides. "You are here to participate in an experiment." He held aloft two syringes. "Open the cage door," he ordered.

"W-who are you?" Kumori asked, hating that her voice was shaking in fear. She also hated the fact that he was calling her, "my dear." She tried to sit up but her legs were cramped from being in one position for a long time and didn't let her.

"I am Xavier, leader of Team Elemental. We strive to create a world where Pokemon and human are one and I mean it literally. We are here in the place of Team Galactic. You may have noticed an increase in Kanto, Johto and Hoenn Pokemon in the Sinnoh region. We need to import Pokemon for our experiments." He replied. The light revealed that the liquid inside the syringes was red. Red as blood.

_Clang_.

Kyou's cage door was open. He was too weak to make a run for it or he would have. Kumori could only watch in helplessness as two Grunts grabbed Kyou and ripped his jacket sleeve, revealing the bare and pale skin underneath. Xavier then mercilessly drove the needle into his arm. Kyou's scream would forever stay in Kumori's memory.

Kyou collapsed, lying like a broken doll on his cage floor. They turned on her next. "Don't worry, my dear." Xavier spoke in soothing tones. "You'll be back with your friends soon." Her cage door opened and he stepped inside. Kumori shrank against the back of the cage, her eyes defiant though her body was quivering like a leaf.

He made her take off her jacket and he smiled, seeing her in her black tank top. Her lip curled in disgust. He then stabbed her with the syringe.

She screamed as she felt the strangely icy liquid flow into her body. "What is it?" she gasped out.

"The DNA of Mew. We have found that it is compatible with your own DNA. Your _boyfriend _has Raikou DNA. He seems very particular to electric types."

"He's not…my…boyfriend…" Kumori managed to gasp out before darkness claimed her. She drifted into a dreamless sleep.

-

"Oh my god, are you guys alright?"

"Where have you been?"

"We've been frantic…"

These voices buzzed in Kumori's ear. She groaned and tried to sit up. "Twilight…" she gasped out, remembering that he hadn't been with her in the cage.

"He's right here," someone said before the Riolu's warm weight was on her lap.

"Ri, Riolu!" Twilight said. Kumori could detect words behind it but it wasn't really making any sense right now.

"And Kyou?" she looked around.

"He's in no better condition," a different voice reported.

She felt somebody help her sit up. "Kumori, what happened?" Kotone asked softly.

"I just remember syringes, darkness, cages and a man named Xavier. Called himself the leader of Team Elemental…" Suddenly, she heard a gasp.

"Look at her head!" Aqua murmured in amazement.

Kumori felt the top of her head and gasped. A pair of warm ears was on her head. She glanced behind her, praying with all her might.

A Mew tail brushed the dir behind her. "Aw, crap…" she groaned.

She and Kyou were assisted back to the Pokemon center. "Nurse Joy," Rei said with uncertainty in her voice. "Have you heard about this? About people having Pokemon traits?"

"I have heard about such evil things," the nurse replied reluctantly. "But this is the first time I've seen it."

"And look at Kyou. He's got that Raikou tail and his hair's turned purple and it flows like the cloud that trails Raikou…"

"I'm just worried about what's going to happen to them. I've heard that people with this sort of thing usually develop the powers as well…Rei, please, as a favor for me, keep an eye on the two of them, will you?"

Rei nodded and then hurried to catch up with the others.

-

Kumori sighed, looking at her reflection in the mirror. It would take some getting used to, seeing the large pink ears on her head.

The tail wasn't helping. "Damn," she sighed, turning away from the mirror. Kyou grimaced from where he was leaning against the bathroom door frame.

"Hey, at least your hair didn't turn purple," he touched his new mane. "I'll have to cut it. And probably dye it back too. The tail is most definitely not going to improve what I look like. You could wear a hat to hide your ears but I've absolutely no idea what we're going to do with the tails." He sighed.

Kumori patted him on the shoulder as she walked past to go finish packing her stuff. She dug around in her bag for a hat but no luck. "Looking for a hat?" Kari asked, watching with sympathetic eyes.

"Yep," Kumori replied.

"Here," Kari tossed her a red bandana. "That'll do for now until we can get to a PokeMart."

"Thanks, Kari, you're a lifesaver," Kumori breathed in relief, tying the red cloth over her head and covering the ears. She flicked her tail. "Now what to do with that tail…"

"Maybe a cape would cover it? Or a long overcoat?" Aqua suggested, coming in and sitting on her bunk. She fidgeted, looking around uneasily.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Kumori dug into her suitcase and pulled out a long black cloth. "This should do." She fastened it around her neck, the cloth being a cloak. The black fabric effectively covered the tail.

"That's perfect! Now you just look like this really weird traveler!" Kotone exclaimed. Kumori rolled her eyes. Twilight was on her bunk and Kumori lifted him down. She released all her Pokemon.

"Alright guys," she said. She glanced around the room, suddenly realizing that everybody was looking at her in a strange way. She decided to ignore them. What she didn't realize was that she was speaking in Poketalk. **(A/N: Bold means Poketalk from here on in.)**

"**What is it?**" Twilight asked. Kumori blinked.

"**I can understand you!**" Kumori gasped.

"**Yes, because you have Pokemon DNA in your body.**" Wildfire added.

"Kumori, what are you saying? All we hear is 'Mew, Mew, and Mew'!" one of her friends said in exasperation. Kumori looked at her friends strangely. It had been Rei who had spoken.

"I can understand her," Kyou said. The girls started, not having realized he was there. "**Don't worry; I'm just as shocked as you are.**" He told Kumori.

"**This is so freaky!**" she replied.

"Damn it, guys, this is driving me crazy!" Aqua said.

"Oh, sorry!" the two replied at the same time before glancing at each other and laughing.

"Why are we so euphoric?" Kumori managed to gasp out.

"I know! Shouldn't we be, like, depressed instead now that we have Pokemon DNA in our bodies?" Kyou added. He managed to stop laughing but collapsed weakly against the bed frame instead.

The Pokemon were staring at their trainers strangely. "**Yep, they've officially gone crazy.**" Twilight nodded his head solemnly. Kumori flashed him a reproachful glance. "**Whoops…forgot you can understand me now…**" Twilight shuffled his feet.

"**Aw, it's alright,**" Kumori smiled, kneeling down and giving her Pokemon a swift hug. "**This is also going to take some getting used to.**"

"**I hear ya…**"

"**But, you do realize this is going to give us a **_**huge **_**advantage in a battle, right?**"

Twilight nodded thoughtfully. He began to head for the door and Kumori followed. They headed for the back of the Pokemon Center. "Hey, guys! Call me when we're leaving, 'kay?" she shouted over her shoulder at her friends.

"Sure!" someone replied, presumably Kari.

Kumori sat on a rock, thinking. She had a sudden idea. If she was now part Mew, could she possibly have Mew powers as well? It was only then, after staring at her hands, did she feel a slight pressure on her neck that hadn't been there before. She reached for it and felt a leather collar with a small tag hanging from it.

"**Hey, Twilight, can you read?**" she asked. There was no need for the Riolu to answer. Kumori saw Kyou leaning against a tree, his eyes closed, long purple hair flowing around his waist. "Hey Kyou!" she called.

He opened his now dark golden eyes. "What?" he called back.

Kumori walked over to him. "Can you read what's on this tag?" she showed him the collar and his hand went automatically to his own neck, realizing he had one too.

"Sure, I'll read yours as long as you read mine." He waited for Kumori to nod. "This is what your tag says: 'Experiment 0113, successful. Status: Transformation and ability.'"

He dropped her tag. Kumori picked up his, trying to decipher the small engraving. "This is yours: 'Experiment 0114, successful. Status: Transformation and ability.' And underneath that, in this really small print, it says 'Property of Team Elemental'."

"I am not anybody's property!" Kyou protested. Kumori smiled, feeling her lips twist.

"It doesn't seem as if you have much choice…"

His Raikou tail lashed, the zigzagging limb giving off an electrical charge. All of a sudden, electricity flowed from Kyou's balled hands, striking the ground. He jumped in surprise. Kumori blinked once, realizing that she wasn't touching the ground anymore.

She was floating. "Aw, crap…" she groaned, trying to figure out how to land. She concentrated on the ground and then landed with a thump.

"Whoa!" Kyou murmured. Kumori nodded in agreement.

"Hey guys!" Kari called. "We're leaving!"

"'Kay!" the two shouted back in unison.

The six of them traveled along the road to Floaroma Town for a while. They stopped for lunch near a river. "I've always wondered, Kyou," Aqua said as she bit into her lunch. Kyou tilted his head. His hair was now shoulder length again but still purple. No helping that. "How did you get Star?"

"Oh, she was a gift from one of my brother's friends over in the Johto region. Volkner's friend heard that he had a little brother and decided to give me a Sentret when I was about nine. Then I decided to keep Star for my starter and then she evolved into Furret when I was on my way to Sandgem Town to get my Pokedex." He explained.

"Hang on…your brother's…VOLKNER?"

"Yeah," Kyou blinked.

The rest of the group sweat-dropped, at least, those that caught the last bit of the conversation. "T-then, who was the friend?"

"Lance," Kyou replied.

"Lance?" Kari pricked her ears at the name of _her _older brother. "My brother never told me he had a friend who was the last gym leader in the Sinnoh region!"

"Likewise." Kyou flashed Kari a swift smile. "I never knew Volkner had friends in any region outside of Sinnoh until I met Lance. He gave me Star."

"So…that's what happened to the Sentret egg…"

"Hold it," Kumori suddenly said. "So you're saying that we two people of this group are related to gym leaders? Not just any gym leaders but the gym leaders that reward a trainer with the LAST badge?"

"Apparently…yes," Kyou nodded.

Kumori shook her head. "And there I was, thinking that it would be hard just to be the daughter of a Pokemon professor."

"What I'm worried about is what your families are going to say once they see you with your new…um…features," Kari remarked. Kumori smiled ruefully.

They then passed under a tree. "**Look up!**" Twilight said. Kumori obliged, than started. There, in the tree, was a girl. She was sleeping with her back against the trunk of the tree, and her hair, which was black but streaked with sea green, draped over her slender shoulder in a long braid.

The girl opened her eyes and slid down the tree, landing in front of the group. Kumori swept her gaze over the tall and elegant girl, taking in her in. She took in the shades the girl wore and the slightly gothic clothes. She was wearing a denim short-sleeved jacket over a light gray T-shirt with black, plentifully pocketed and silver-chained cargoes, and black boots. She also wore a pair of fingerless black gloves that reached up to her elbows, thin silver chains for bracelets, and a pair of silver ravens as earrings.

"Who are you?" Rei asked, being blunt as usual. The girl lifted her shades, revealing dark red eyes.

"The name's Cassandra but call me Cass," the slender trainer replied. "And you are…"

"Kumori."

"Kyou."

"Rei."

"Kotone."

"Kari."

"Aqua."

"Interesting names…" Cass smirked. Kumori felt her eyes scan over them, taking in the strangeness of the group. She yawned broadly, speaking through the yawn. "Where you guys headed next?"

"Floaroma," Aqua immediately answered.

"Hey, I've got an idea. Let's have a battle." She smiled.

"Sure," returned Kumori. "Who do you want to have it with?"

**

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Hope you guys liked that chapter too! And Phoenix Espeon, hope I didn't make Cass's description boring…**

**Please Read and Review!!!!**


	5. Chapter 5: Great Idea!

**Chapter 5: Great Idea!**

"Well?" Kumori said, waiting for Cass to reply.

"Actually," Cass yawned. "I'm too tired to battle…" she grinned before climbing back into her tree and falling asleep. Kumori exchanged glances with Kyou.

The rest of the group continued on, heading for Floaroma Town. "You know what?" Kumori overheard Aqua talking to Kari. "It'd be kind of cool to be a coordinator, you know?"

"Why don't you try out at the Floaroma Contest, then?" Kari replied. Kumori smiled slightly to herself, sticking her hands in her pockets and flicking her Mew tail. She had bought a hat at the PokeMart before they left.

As long as Kumori kept her ears pinned down, the hat could cover them. She now glanced around and seeing no other travelers, whipped off the hat to ease her cramping ear muscles. She then placed the hat back on securely.

They stopped for the night along the road. Kumori spread out her dark purple sleeping bag and placed some rocks around in a circle. "**Go find some firewood,**" she told her Pokemon. They obliged, bringing back a bunch of wood. She piled it in the middle of the rocks. "Now, Wildfire, use Ember on the wood." The fire lit up, casting a warm shadow over the group.

"Who can cook?" Kyou asked cheekily.

"Well, I've got some packs of instant ramen we can share," Kotone piped up. "Here," she threw a metal pot at Kumori, who caught it. Kari built something to hang the pot from. Kari offered to go find water. She picked up the pot and headed towards the woods, looking for a stream. On the way there, she heard rustles in the ferns and went over to investigate. She found a Pikachu lying tied to a tree, the rope around its neck, nearly strangling it.

She knelt down, putting the bucket on the floor and studied the knot. It was too tight so she'd have to cut it. "C'mon out Growlithe," she said. "Use Ember and burn the rope." The rope was burned and Kari gently picked up the Pikachu.

Bruises and scratches marked the yellow mouse's body. "Pi…" it said weakly.

"Hey, Pikachu," Kari was struck by a sudden idea. "Do you want to come with us?"

The Pikachu thought about it. Then, it nodded, twitching its tail. She put the Pokemon down. "Pi, Pika?" it tilted its head.

"Go, Pokeball!" Kari smiled, throwing the red and white capsule. It bounced off of the Pikachu's head and enveloped it in a red light. The shakes that followed seemed to go by quickly and then it settled. "Yes, I caught Pikachu!" she said in triumph. "Growlithe, return," she added.

Kari continued on her task of finding water.

**Back at the campsite…**

"Dang it, where's Kari with the water?" Kyou groaned. His stomach rumbled. "I'm starving!"

"Quit complaining, Kyou," Kumori growled under her breath. "**Of course, if you're so hungry, you might as well eat Pokefood!**" she glanced over at the Pokemon feasting on their food.

"**No, seriously. I'm STARVED!**" he emphasized "starved". Of course, only the Pokemon and Kumori could tell what he was saying. The rest of the group didn't even bother to ask. The light of their fire attracted quite a collection of Bug Pokemon, ranging from Kricketot to Venomoth.

Kari finally came back. "Sorry!" she said. "You'd never believe how far the stream is from here." She brushed back some of her hair and placed the water above the first. They had to wait for the water to boil. Kotone then dumped six packets of instant ramen into the pot and she stirred it.

She then added the seasoning. The delicious smell wafted around the campsite and more than one stomach was rumbling now. As soon as the noodles were finished, she scooped it out and placed it in six bowls. Kumori swiftly ate hers, finally realizing what it meant to be truly hungry. Kyou finished his and looked around for more.

Rei ate hers slowly, Kari as well because her mind was weighed down with the abused Pikachu and Kotone easily finished hers. "You know, we can still train by moonlight." Kumori remarked. "We should have practice battles after dinner every night, you know, to keep up the strength of our Pokemon."

"That's a good idea." Rei admitted. "So, Aqua, want to battle?"

Those two girls went off to go battle by the light of the moon. Kumori went with Kyou and Kari with Kotone.

Flashes of light exploded within a few moments as the three pairs began to battle. "Go, Wildfire!"

"Streak, you're up!"

"Let's go, Turtwig!"

"Go, Leaf!"

"C'mon out, Dratini!"

"Let's go, Daiki!"

The sounds of the three different battles echoed through the woods. Blue electricity sparked above the trees, twin towers of flames spiraled together, a mass of leaves swirled above the forest.

It was a sight to behold, all created by six individual Pokemon. The battles ended when it was about nine. They all returned to the campsite, laughing and joking. "That was a great battle!" they exclaimed, commenting on the different tactics they used.

However, they realized they had a visitor, lying next to their fire when they got back. "Arashi!" Kumori snarled. The boy grinned at the girl, whose eyes were glinting dangerously, her tail lashing underneath her cloak.

"Hello," he said, flashing a smirk.

"What are you doing here?" she snarled.

"Why, I want to stay with you for the night." His gaze was one of dejected innocence.

"Fine, but you'll have to battle me first," Kumori smirked. Arashi raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?" he got to his feet.

"I'll be referee!" Rei offered, dying to see what this battle would turn out like. They walked towards a clearing and the two battlers took up positions on opposite sides. "This will be a one-on-one battle, no substitutions. The first Pokemon to faint is the loser. Ready? Begin!"

"Go, Bolt!"

"Wildfire, you're up!"

The two different Pokemon appeared in a flash of silver light. "Growlithe, eh?" Arashi mused. "Bolt, let's start this off with Thunder Shock!"

"**Wildfire, use Double Team!**" The Growlithe seemed to disappear. Bolt was about to launch Thunder Shock when he was suddenly surrounded by a crowd of Growlithe.

"Shinx?" he cried out, confused. Arashi narrowed his eyes. He couldn't understand what she was saying!

"Bolt, use Discharge!"

"**Wildfire, use Fire Spin, let's go!**" A tower of flames surrounded the Shinx, who tried to escape but every move he made; he got hit by the fire. "**Now get into the flames and use Iron Tail!**"

Arashi was thoroughly confused. He had no idea what Wildfire was about to do and Bolt was trapped in the fire. "Bolt, use Discharge!" he called out. Blue lightning streaked out of the flames, striking Wildfire just as he was about to leap into the flames. With a whimper, he crashed to the ground. The Shinx's pained call echoed once again.

"**Hang in there, Wildfire! Get up,**" Kumori called out. Wildfire struggled to his feet, electricity still in the air around him. Bolt's cries rang out once again. "**Now get into the flames and use Iron Tail!**"

Wildfire leapt towards the tower of flames, entering it and then sparks flew. He had hit with his Iron Tail. Wildfire jumped back out of the fire, his eyes glinting in the orange light thrown by the flames.

"Bolt, use Thunder Bolt!" Arashi ordered.

Kumori smiled slightly, showing fangs. "**Dodge the Thunder Bolt and use Fire Fang!**"

Wildfire leapt out of the way of the repeating bolts of the thunder before lunging into the fire once again, this time with flames in his jaws.

The fire died away, leaving a much bruised Shinx on the ground. "Shi…" Bolt growled, trying to get to his feet. "**I WON'T GIVE UP!**" He screeched at Kumori and at his own trainer. He launched forwards, electricity crackling in his jaws. The two Pokemon clashed, attempting to grab a hold of each other.

Arashi stood there, dumbfounded. He had just realized Bolt knew Thunder Fang. Kumori smiled briefly. "That's enough." She called out. The two Pokemon broke apart.

Kumori closed her eyes and then reopened them, coming back to reality. She fell to the ground, landing on her knees. Wildfire hurried over and began licking her. "**Are you alright?**" he asked worriedly. Kumori nodded.

"Due to both Pokemon retiring, this battle will be a draw!" Rei announced.

"Wildfire, return," she pointed the Pokeball at the Growlithe. A red light surrounded the Fire Pokemon and he returned to the Pokeball.

"By the way," Arashi smiled impishly, returning Bolt. "How did you learn to speak Poketalk?"

Kumori returned it with her own impish smile. "You want the whole truth?" she replied. The rest of the group exchanged amused glances. Arashi shrugged. Kumori slowly unclasped her cloak, letting it drift to the ground. She then took off her hat, her Mew ears quivering. Arashi took one look at the Pokemon traits and fainted. Kumori sweat-dropped. She placed her hat back on her head and left the unconscious Arashi on the ground. She settled down into her sleeping bag and fell asleep. The others followed, leaving Arashi in the clearing.

Twilight was sleeping on top of her. The rest of the group, Kotone, Kari, Kyou, Rei and Aqua followed her example, settling down in their sleeping bags and falling asleep, warmed by the fire.

The next morning, they woke up and the fire was but mere embers. Kyou's stomach rumbled again and they burst into laughter. Arashi stumbled out of the forest, bleary-eyed. "Why'd you leave me in the forest?" he grumbled, the small trainer sitting down with a thump. The group ignored him, packing up.

"We'll eat on the road," Kotone told Kyou as they rolled up their sleeping bags. Arashi rubbed his neck, easing a cramp.

"Let's head out!" Kari called. The six headed for the road. Arashi pouted and trailing behind them. They arrived in Floaroma Town late afternoon and they quickly rushed to the Pokemon Center.

The travelers had their Pokemon checked in. "Thank you Nurse Joy!" they called over their shoulder as they left.

"The Floaroma Contest is in a few days, isn't it?" Kumori said, glancing at a poster.

"Yeah," Kyou had his hands in his pockets. "You should try out."

"I don't know…" Kumori sighed. "Contests aren't exactly my thing. They're more…my sister's…" she trailed off at the end.

"You have a sister?"

"Yep," Kumori grinned, sticking her own hands in her pockets. "You may know her. She's the top coordinator in Sinnoh. Her name's Hikari."

"Oh yeah, I used to watch contests with Mom on TV. Your sister was always great."

Kumori sighed, looking up at the sun. She shielded her eyes. "Her combination of Empoleon and Luxray was one of the best I had ever seen," she said to herself. Kyou raised an eyebrow.

"So she started with Piplup, huh." He mused.

"But you know what? Maybe I will try the contest," Kumori admitted. "I kind of want to see if any of my sister's talents are in me or if it's just my grandfather's battling ability in my blood. Oh, which reminds me, I have to go call my Dad." She dashed off towards the Pokemon Center. Kyou followed at a slower pace.

"Hmm, maybe I should try out for a contest too. What do you think, Star?" he asked the Furret at his side.

"**You know, maybe we should try it out.**" Star replied, scratching the back of her head with one of her paws. Kyou patted her on the head affectionately.

-

The next morning, half of the group decided to try out coordinating. Aqua, Kumori and Kotone were ones who wanted to try new things. The rest of the group, Kyou, Kari and Rei decided to sit out and watch.

They signed up, Kumori entering Wildfire and Twilight. Aqua entered her Turtwig and her Eevee. She had also caught a Starly but didn't want to enter him in the contest. Kotone decided to enter Daiki and Midori.

The contest was to be the day after and the three were training hard for it, figuring out ways to make their Pokemon look good while still using powerful moves.

"Wildfire, you'll be in the first stage and depending on how far in we get…" she smiled. "Do your best, 'kay little guy?" she grinned.

Wildfire nodded. "**What else would you expect from me?**"

"**Twilight, you'll be one or more of the battle stages. We have to work on figuring out how to make your attacks look good.**"

Twilight nodded in agreement. "**We may be regular gym battlers but we can still try out new things, right?**" the Riolu remarked.

Kumori grinned and gave the Riolu a high five, plus a pat on the head for the Growlithe. "**We're going to win our first contest and the next gym battle in Eterna City.**" She said firmly. "**Believe it.**"

**Ok, I took the "believe it" part from Naruto but, sue me. I don't care. Ooh…I wonder how their first contest is going to go…**

**And don't flame me saying that trainers can't also be coordinators. They can as is proved in the game.**

**Please Read and Review!!!!**


	6. Chapter 6: A Star Debut

**Chapter 6: A Star Debut**

Kumori woke up the next morning, eager for the contest. "It's today!" she cried out, waking up earlier then usual.

Twilight stirred from his place on her stomach. He had been curled up in a tight ball but now he unwound, blinking open his eyes. "**I'm so excited!**" he exclaimed, jumping down from the top bunk.

Aqua was already up, searching through her clothes. "I don't have anything good to wear!" she cried out in anguish.

"I think you can buy one at the PokeMart." Kotone said. She quickly got into a dark blue dress. It complimented her very nicely. Kumori quickly got into her own dress, a black dress with golden borders. She wore a cape to cover her tail and a black top hat with a red ribbon to cover her ears. Aqua quickly darted out of the Pokemon Center and ran towards the PokeMart. She bought a dress and came back to show the others.

Aqua's dress with a light blue with frilly sleeves and it looked very good on her. The three girls helped each other do their hair and apply the other jazz.

"How do we look?" they asked in unison, twirling around for their friends to give them an opinion in the main room of the Pokemon Center.

"You look great," the others smiled.

"As long as you don't get too excited and have that cloak billow around, you should be fine," Kyou advised Kumori.

"Thanks," Kumori replied. Kyou felt his heart begin to speed up when she flashed a smile at him.

The six of them made their way to the Contest Hall and the three competing in the Contest walked backstage. The other three hurried to get good seats.

"Welcome to the Annual Floaroma Town Contest!" the MC shouted. The crowd began to cheer and applaud. "Let's welcome our contestants! First up, from Hearthome City is…Sally!"

A tall, slender blonde entered the stadium, waving to the crowd. "Alright Pachirisu…spot…light!" she threw a Pokeball into the air, the top of it purple because of the Seal. A Pachirisu appeared among lightning bolts. "Alright Pachirisu, Discharge!" the electric Pokemon's trainer called out.

"Chipa, chipa, chipa!" the Pachirisu called out. Blue lightning sparkled from its fur and then burst into the air, creating many tiny sparks.

"Wow, that's a beautiful sight!" the MC was impressed. Sally and Pachirisu went off the stage amongst tons of applause. "Our next contestant, from Twinleaf Town, it's Aqua! This is her contest debut, let's see how she does!"

The girl walked onto stage in her dress, smiling. "Alright Turtwig, blow 'em away!" the Turtwig appeared in leaves, spinning and then landing.

"Turtwig!" he called out.

"Alright Turtwig, let's use Solar Beam!" Turtwig immediately began to draw in energy from the sun. As soon as Turtwig had enough, he let loose a beam of energy. "Now Razor Leaf!" the leaves cut through the energy, the green among the orange.

"An interesting combination but nonetheless, effective!" the MC judged exclaimed. Aqua left.

"That was a great combination!" Kumori complimented her friend as the nervous Aqua appeared backstage. She heard her name called and stopped to take a deep breath before appearing on stage.

"Good luck!" she heard Kotone call after her.

"Alright, Wildfire, take the stage!" she called out. The Growlithe appeared in flames, spinning and landing with one forepaw raised. "Let's use Fire Blast then Iron Tail!"

The big flame spiraled overhead. Wildfire leapt upwards, his tail glowing and then slashed at the fire. It burst into many tiny embers, drifting onto the ground. Wildfire stood there among the dying sparks and barked. "What an amazing sight!" the MC cried.

Kumori caught Kyou's eyes and he gave her thumbs up. She left, feeling elated. "How'd I do?" she asked Kotone and Aqua nervously.

"You did great!" Aqua said, giving Kumori a swift hug. Kotone smiled, her smile slightly strained. She had yet to go.

"And now, coincidentally also from Twinleaf Town, returning champion coordinator…Hikari Maple! Please welcome our next contestant!" the MC cried out. Kumori froze. Did she just hear correctly? Her _sister_ was in this contest as well?

"Aw, crap…" she moaned, watching her sister's performance on the TV.

"M'kay Sparkle, spotlight!" the trainer's sister called out. Kotone and Aqua compared the two. They were definitely siblings. From the red-gold hair to the small stature right down to the confident aura that they could feel even through the screen. It wasn't that hard to mistake them.

A Togetic appeared on stage next to Hikari. "Tic, Togetic!" he cried out, appearing amongst sparks.

"Alright Sparkle, let's start this off with Solar Beam!" Hikari ordered. Sparkle jumped into the air, flapping his wings and gathering energy from the sun. He shot the Solar Beam straight into the air. "Now use Metronome, quick!"

Sparkle stayed, hovering in the air, waving his paws from side to side. He used Fire Spin and the flames surrounded the Solar Beam still shooting high into the air. They gasped in amazement. This was promising to be a very good contest.

Hikari left to tremendous applause. Kumori hid behind a pole, watching her sister walk by. She wondered if Hikari had called home recently. She was conversing with her Togetic, smiling happily. "You did great," she told Sparkle.

"**Thanks!**" Sparkle replied, which sounded more like, "Toge!" to the other contestants, the non-Pokemon people.

Sparkle turned his head, seeming to stare right at Kumori. She stared back, as if daring him to tell his trainer that she was there. He pulled on Hikari's dress sleeve lightly and pulled her towards Kumori. She stepped out from behind the pole, staring coolly at her sister. "Hello," she said, surprising even herself at the ice in her voice.

"Kumori, you did a great job!" 15 year old Hikari smiled, giving her little sister a hug. Kumori stood stock still. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be glad to see me," she pouted.

Kumori raised an eyebrow. She wasn't about to move in any extravagant manner, just in case her cloak decided to fly and reveal her new secret. "Oh, don't worry. I am glad," she said in a monotonous voice.

Twilight climbed onto her shoulder, clinging there, staring at Hikari in curiosity. Kumori heard Kotone's name called and turned her attention to the TV screen. "We're rivals now, Hikari," she informed her sister. "I'll only be glad to see you after the contest. You better get to the final round 'cause that's where I'll be waiting."

"Very confident for a first-timer," Hikari said softly. "But you were always the type to surprise. I've thought of you more as a gym battler instead of a coordinator."

"I've heard of trainer-coordinators." Kumori retorted. "Why can't I be one of those?"

On stage, Kotone had let out Daiki and the Pachirisu had used Charge, waiting for the Pachirisu to get all charged up. "Now, use Thunder!"

Daiki unleashed a tremendous bolt of lightning, letting it snake across the audience with amazing control. Kotone came off stage, her face flushed with success. "Daiki!" she exclaimed. "You did great!"

The other contestants went and finally, it was judging time. "Who will be the eight to move onto the next round?" the MC asked, her voice trembling with excitement.

The curtain over the TV screen closed and then opened once more. Kumori looked at the screen and her eyes widened in surprise. Kotone and Aqua jumped up and down with excitement and Hikari smiled in knowing satisfaction. They had all made it to the next round. Four others had made it as well. "And now…let's give the board a random shuffle!"

The pairs were shown and Kumori grinned. It was ironic. None of the friends were facing each other. She was battling second, paired up against a red head male named Tyler.

Hikari's battle was first. She won easily with Rain, her Floatzel. Her opponent had been a male named Freddie who had used a Staravia.

Kumori calmed her nerves before heading up to the stage. She took her place and her opponent took his. He smiled confidently. This was his second contest. Kumori raised an eyebrow, daring him to even try. He rolled his eyes. He could beat that small punk easily.

"And to our right, we have Kumori Maple of Twinleaf Town! And on our left is Tyler White of Sunnyshore City! You have five minutes. The person with the most number of points at the end of those five minutes is the winner! Begin!"

"Twilight, take the stage!" the Riolu had agreed to go into a Pokeball for this once and he appeared amongst thunder, flipping and landing, taking up a battle stance.

"Summer, spotlight!" her opponent called out, throwing a Pokeball into the air. A Roselia appeared amongst flowers.

"Rose!" she called out.

"Let's start this off with Sunny Day!" Tyler called out. It began to become very sunny. Kumori shielded her eyes, watching her points go down.

"Twilight, use Quick Attack." She commanded calmly. The Riolu flashed and raced towards Summer, silver light streaking after him. The extra bright sunlight glinted off the silver. Her opponent lost some points.

"Pin Missile, let's go, Summer!" Tyler called out. The Roselia shot needles at Twilight.

"Jump into the air and dodge it!" commanded Kumori. She waited until Twilight had gotten a good jump. "Now use Aura Sphere!" A ball of aura appeared in Twilight's paws and he shot them at Summer. He flipped and landed like a cat, his red eyes glinting. The ball of aura hit Summer, knocking away some more points. They continued like this, bantering back and forth.

"We've just gone past the two minute mark and Kumori is leading by a bare margin!" the MC announced.

"Quick Attack once more and then use Double Team, c'mon Twilight, let's hustle!" the young trainer called out. Twilight dashed forwards and nearly hit Summer before suddenly splitting into a bunch of Twilight's.

"Pin Missile in a circle!" the Pin Missile hit all of the illusions. Kumori smirked.

"Force Palm!" she ordered. Twilight came crashing down from above Summer, smacking the Roselia with Force Palm.

"Synthesis!" ordered Tyler.

"Quick, use Reversal before she can finish healing!" Kumori demanded. Twilight hit with Reversal and then the clock went off. Kumori held her breath, waiting for the score.

"And we have Kumori as the winner! She will go onto the next round." Kumori breathed a sigh of relief and gave her Riolu a hug.

"We won!" she squealed. "We won, we won!"

"**Wow…that Roselia has a hard head…**" Twilight muttered, rubbing his palm. Kumori laughed.

She watched the battles of her friends and they won theirs. When they gave the board another shuffle, it showed that Kumori would be facing Aqua and Hikari was facing Kotone. "Good luck," she called to Kotone. Her friend smiled before heading up to the stage.

She used Midori and Hikari used Sparkle. Midori gave it her best shot but Sparkle was just a notch above her. The Bulbasaur lost to Sparkle. Kotone left the stage. "Well, it was a good battle. You can't blame yourself, Kotone. Midori had a type disadvantage." Aqua comforted her.

"Yeah, I'm rooting for both of you," she smiled. _Actually, I have no idea who I want to win! _She was thinking inside.

The two friends now rivals walked onto the stage. "Go, Turtwig!" Aqua called out. Kumori smiled to herself.

"Wildfire, you're up!" she ordered. Aqua pouted at her and she smiled back angelically.

She could read Aqua's thoughts on her face. _She knew I was going to send out Turtwig! Well…I guess, either way she has a type disadvantage._

"I'll let you have the first move," Kumori called out. Aqua nodded.

"Turtwig, let's start this off with Razor Leaf and make it in a spiral. Then jump through it and use Tackle!"

"Turtwig!" the green Pokemon shot a Razor Leaf at Wildfire but it was in a spiral. Then he jumped through the leaves.

"Fire Spin!" the Growlithe's trainer shouted at the last moment.

"Grow!" the Growlithe snarled before launching a Fire Spin attack. It burnt all the leaves to a crisp and surrounded the Turtwig.

"Turtwig, use Withdraw!" Aqua shouted. Turtwig withdrew into his shell. The points on the board were pretty much equal.

"Wildfire, use Agility and jumped through the flames. Then use Fire Fang!" Kumori shouted.

Wildfire sped forwards and then jumped, crashing into the flames, flinching only slightly before biting down on Turtwig's shell with Fire Fang. He jumped back out and barked.

Aqua's points went down but then the Fire Spin disappeared, leaving a much bruised Turtwig on the stage. He struggled to get up and managed to do so. Aqua glanced at her points and was shocked to see how much more Kumori had then her. "Well, we'll just have to turn things around, won't we?" she muttered to herself.

**I wonder what Aqua has on her mind…Find out in the next chapter!!! And sorry for updating so slowly…School and homework and other stuff so…yeah. I might take a while updating each chapter.**


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